How gutters keep your lungs happy? (especially in Maryland)
“*If water can move mountains, imagine what it can do to your house!”
Synopsis:
- Gutters are more important than you may know.
- Neglected gutters can cause mold and other expensive repairs.
- Gutter damage can go unnoticed and should be inspected twice
a year (minimum).
- Gutters required your attention and most probably neglect.
Over the summer one of EFynch’s first projects was helping a member install gutter guards (we made a video about it here!). As a former solar installer I have a familiarity with gutters but never really knew the full function they provide, and why it is so incredibly important to maintain them.
Because gutters are typically ignored until they leak, we often forget to maintain and have them inspected regularly. This is VERY important and can literally save the structural integrity of your home while protecting your health.
First, you should know what your gutters do. Gutters do more than catch leaves and keep you hair dry. They serve the important function of collecting water and keeping it away from your house. Water curling under your roof overhang or running down the side of your home can enter behind or through gaps in facade and literally cause “mystery-like” leaks that seep from the middle of your walls. It can do the same around your foundation which although made from concrete, can deteriorate over time by fighting the constant water battle*. If unnoticed or untreated for a long period, mold may grow. Locating the the exact leak can be extremely costly because the water may have traveled a great distance from entry point to the are where you finally notice it (leaving a trail of spores along the way). This is the type of costly job that even contractors hate doing!
So net’s talk about your gutters and determining what you should be looking for in maintaining them.
There two common types of gutter installation methods. Depending on various factors on your roof and price-point, different mounting methods were utilized.
Know your mounting method:
1. Spike and Ferrule (nail). Look at your gutters, this is an older method for hanging gutters typical until the last 15 years or so. If you see a nail going through the outside, this system is what you have. These mounts were less expensive to install and typically use a 7” nail to attached the gutters to the fascia (flat board under the shingles). However they do have some drawbacks.
Weight in the gutters can slowly separate the gutter from the fascia, so can ladders resting on the gutter. If a gap forms water may “curl” under your drip edge of shingles and can enter the interior of your “curtain wall” or “cladding” (part of your house on the outside like siding or brick). THESE TYPES OF GUTTERS SHOULD BE INSPECTED ANNUALLY WHILE HAVING THEM CLEANED 2 OR 3 TIMES PER YEAR (early spring, mid/ late summer and late fall here in Maryland or around Baltimore and Washington D.C.).
2. Hidden Hanger (bracket hidden in gutter). If you do not see nails from the ground, it is safe to assume you have a Hidden Hanger (unless you live in a custom built house, which can have other types). This gutter type is attached to your fascia board with a screw and it less likely to pull from your home but harder to inspect (requires actually going on the roof or to roof level). Slightly harder to install and more expensive, this is a modern way to attach gutters because it is simply stiffer and holds weight better. Gaps should still be repaired as soon as they are noticed but inspection can occur less often- maybe 1 per year. A cleaning should occur at least twice per year, late spring and fall.
*********
There are other things to know about your gutter and at this point, pictures are worth a thousand words. As a homeowner your sole job is to make sure that gutters stay clean, are straight, and show no signs of gaps from the house. The minute they do- have a Handyman, roofer, or gutter guy come out and check.
A good gutter cleaning includes removing leaves and debris from the gutters AND roof. It should also include the use of water or air to make sure downspouts are clear from debris.
Beyond cleaning and inspections you can consider gutter guards, we will have another entry on this later. They have pros and cons that you need to know before jumping on the list from some guy at the mall.
In closing, I hope we have proven to you that gutters should be monitored. The first home I bought had gutters 25' off the ground and I never looked at them once. This can be a mistake of gigantic proportion. I was lucky and didn't have any problems, but now we both know better.
Other good facts:
- It is recommended that you have a downspout every 30 to 40 feet if possible.
- Gutter screens on the downspouts are okay however they do cause problems when wet leaves are stuck in the gutter- this can rip Spike and Ferrule (nailed) gutters off the facia board. Screens really make sense when no leaves are present but you want to protect downspouts from rodents or debris.
- 6” gutters can carry more water than the standard 5” however, because of the colder climate here in Maryland, 5” typically recommended. This is more of a problem in the winter when (and hopefully your gutters and clean and do not have this problem!), water can sit in your gutters and freeze.
- Water should NEVER sit in your gutters. If you see puddling please have your gutters inspected as soon as possible.
- Snow can also put weight on gutters visually inspect your gutters during snow events and after a full melt.
- Orange gutters are pretty awesome and if you install we have several EFynch decals that you can use for additional decorations!
Synopsis:
- Gutters are more important than you may know.
- Neglected gutters can cause mold and other expensive repairs.
- Gutter damage can go unnoticed and should be inspected twice
a year (minimum).
- Gutters required your attention and most probably neglect.
Over the summer one of EFynch’s first projects was helping a member install gutter guards (we made a video about it here!). As a former solar installer I have a familiarity with gutters but never really knew the full function they provide, and why it is so incredibly important to maintain them. Because gutters are typically ignored until they leak, we often forget to maintain and have them inspected regularly. This is VERY important and can literally save the structural integrity of your home while protecting your health.
First, you should know what your gutters do. Gutters do more than catch leaves and keep you hair dry. They serve the important function of collecting water and keeping it away from your house. Water curling under your roof overhang or running down the side of your home can enter behind or through gaps in facade and literally cause “mystery-like” leaks that seep from the middle of your walls. It can do the same around your foundation which although made from concrete, can deteriorate over time by fighting the constant water battle*. If unnoticed or untreated for a long period, mold may grow. Locating the the exact leak can be extremely costly because the water may have traveled a great distance from entry point to the are where you finally notice it (leaving a trail of spores along the way). This is the type of costly job that even contractors hate doing!
So net’s talk about your gutters and determining what you should be looking for in maintaining them.
There two common types of gutter installation methods. Depending on various factors on your roof and price-point, different mounting methods were utilized.
Know your mounting method:
1. Spike and Ferrule (nail). Look at your gutters, this is an older method for hanging gutters typical until the last 15 years or so. If you see a nail going through the outside, this system is what you have. These mounts were less expensive to install and typically use a 7” nail to attached the gutters to the fascia (flat board under the shingles). However they do have some drawbacks.
Weight in the gutters can slowly separate the gutter from the fascia, so can ladders resting on the gutter. If a gap forms water may “curl” under your drip edge of shingles and can enter the interior of your “curtain wall” or “cladding” (part of your house on the outside like siding or brick). THESE TYPES OF GUTTERS SHOULD BE INSPECTED ANNUALLY WHILE HAVING THEM CLEANED 2 OR 3 TIMES PER YEAR (early spring, mid/ late summer and late fall here in Maryland or around Baltimore and Washington D.C.).
2. Hidden Hanger (bracket hidden in gutter). If you do not see nails from the ground, it is safe to assume you have a Hidden Hanger (unless you live in a custom built house, which can have other types). This gutter type is attached to your fascia board with a screw and it less likely to pull from your home but harder to inspect (requires actually going on the roof or to roof level). Slightly harder to install and more expensive, this is a modern way to attach gutters because it is simply stiffer and holds weight better. Gaps should still be repaired as soon as they are noticed but inspection can occur less often- maybe 1 per year. A cleaning should occur at least twice per year, late spring and fall.
*********
There are other things to know about your gutter and at this point, pictures are worth a thousand words. As a homeowner your sole job is to make sure that gutters stay clean, are straight, and show no signs of gaps from the house. The minute they do- have a Handyman, roofer, or gutter guy come out and check.
A good gutter cleaning includes removing leaves and debris from the gutters AND roof. It should also include the use of water or air to make sure downspouts are clear from debris.
Beyond cleaning and inspections you can consider gutter guards, we will have another entry on this later. They have pros and cons that you need to know before jumping on the list from some guy at the mall.
In closing, I hope we have proven to you that gutters should be monitored. The first home I bought had gutters 25' off the ground and I never looked at them once. This can be a mistake of gigantic proportion. I was lucky and didn't have any problems, but now we both know better.
Other good facts:
- It is recommended that you have a downspout every 30 to 40 feet if possible.
- Gutter screens on the downspouts are okay however they do cause problems when wet leaves are stuck in the gutter- this can rip Spike and Ferrule (nailed) gutters off the facia board. Screens really make sense when no leaves are present but you want to protect downspouts from rodents or debris.
- 6” gutters can carry more water than the standard 5” however, because of the colder climate here in Maryland, 5” typically recommended. This is more of a problem in the winter when (and hopefully your gutters and clean and do not have this problem!), water can sit in your gutters and freeze.
- Water should NEVER sit in your gutters. If you see puddling please have your gutters inspected as soon as possible.
- Snow can also put weight on gutters visually inspect your gutters during snow events and after a full melt.
- Orange gutters are pretty awesome and if you install we have several EFynch decals that you can use for additional decorations!
